On February 8, Beijing time, the Lakers played at home against the Thunder, and in the third quarter of the game, James scored his 36th point with a back-up shot, and his career total reached 38,388 points, surpassing "Skyhook" Abdul-Jabbar (38,387 points), officially crowned the NBA's all-time scoring leader. The 38-year-old scoring record was broken by 38-year-old James! The Lakers' home fans cheered him on and chanted MVP to celebrate this historic moment! He received the game ball from Abdul-Jabbar, crying with emotion and symbolizing the legacy of the all-time scoring champion.
It was a day for James, and his family and friends came to the home of the Lakers, and more than 200 reporters reported live to witness this historic moment. Before the game, James had the golden number 38388 on his headphones. He came to the scene wearing a black suit and a headband during the game, everything was different from the usual competition. Kuzma teased: "James' dress today is like saying, TMD today is my day." ”
James became the 8th all-time scoring leader
Today is indeed the day of Old Zhan, he scored 20 points in the first half, and at halftime, he looked at the big screen above his head and said to his two sons: "16 points in the second half? 8 minutes in one section? The eldest son, Brownie, smiled and asked, "Go break it?" James repeated, "To break it?" Then he firmly stated: "I will break!" ”
James did so in the third quarter, becoming the NBA's 8th all-time scoring leader, after Falks, McCann, McCauley, Shays, Petit, Chamberlain and Abdul-Jabbar occupied the throne. Of these, Chamberlain and Abdul-Jabbar held the record for the longest time. Chamberlain remained for 18 years, while Abdul-Jabbar remained for 38 years.
In an interview, Abdul-Jabbar said: "It bothered Chamberlain when I broke Chamberlain's scoring record in 1984 (the year James was born). Since I started excelling in the NBA, he's had some one-sided rivalry with me. But I don't feel that way about LeBron. I want to celebrate not only his achievements, but also unequivocally. "James' milestone battle, Abdul-Jabbar also came to the sidelines to witness and congratulate him on breaking his record.
Back on May 26, 2017, James surpassed Jordan to become the all-time scoring leader in the NBA playoffs. Now, he's back in the all-time regular season scoring title. If James' team can reach the Finals in the future, he is also expected to attack the all-time scoring title of the Finals. Currently, James has 1,562 Finals career points, the second-largest in history, 117 points less than Jerry West at the top.
This is one of the greatest records
Speaking earlier about the all-time regular season scoring record, James said: "Overall, I think it's one of the greatest records in sports, and I think it's on par with [baseball's] home run records, a record you've never seen or thought would be broken." ”
Before the game against the Thunder, James lamented that everything was still unbelievable. "I never said I wanted to lead the league in scoring, or I never said I wanted to be the all-time scoring leader, it was never my dream, but it still feels crazy to see this moment about to happen! For me, it is an honor to be compared to someone as outstanding and dominant as Abdul-Jabbar. ”
To break the greatest record means surpassing the greatest players. On the road to the all-time scoring title, James surpassed one great star after another -
In the game against the Blazers on November 15, 2018, James surpassed Chamberlain in career points and rose to fifth all-time;
In the game against the Nuggets on March 7, 2019, James surpassed Jordan in career points and became the fourth all-time scorer;
In the game against the 76ers on January 26, 2020, James surpassed Kobe Bryant in career total points and entered the top three in history;
In the game against the Wizards on March 20, 2022, James surpassed Malone in career points and rose to second all-time;
In the game against the Thunder on February 8, 2023, James surpassed Abdul-Jabbar in career points and was officially crowned the all-time scoring leader.
From the fifth in history to the first in history, James spent 1546 days, surpassing one legend after another. More than one NBA player said that the moment James won the all-time scoring title, the NBA's GOAT (best all-time) battle will also be settled. James himself said in the interview: "I feel like I'm the best basketball player ever! ”
Hit the 411 milestone next season
Surpassing the sky hook to become the scoring champion is not the end of James, but another starting point. He will rush non-stop to a new milestone: 40,000 points! There are no ancients before, and I am afraid that it will be difficult for those who will come later. James is expected to become the first 40,000 point player in history and the first player in history to score 40,000 points + 10,000 rebounds + 10,000 assists. Based on James' ability to maintain form, he has a good chance of unlocking the all-time achievement of the 411 milestone next season. For James' fans, it was another miracle to look forward to.
Before the game against the Thunder, James averaged 30 points per game. Will he be surprised that he himself can still perform like this at the age of 38? James said: "Yes, I would be surprised. Sometimes, like back-to-back or three races in four days, I wake up in the morning feeling tired and wonder if I'm not going to be in good shape today. But when I go out into the race, I run faster than my 21 and jump higher than my 23, and I feel great, not only physically, but mentally. I'm sharper in my 20th season than I'm in my 10th or 15th career. ”
The 38-year-old James is still creating new miracles, and he is the biggest miracle in his own right. Former team-mate Sean Battier commented: "James is the greatest player of all time and I don't think we'll see another player like James in the future. "Once again, congratulations to James on his coronation as all-time scoring champion, we are all witnesses to great legends.